Dr. Phil Biography

Psychologist / TV Personality

Dr. Phillip McGraw, PhD. became a daytime television celebrity thanks to his weekly appearances on the popular talk show of Oprah Winfrey. Beginning in 1998, Dr. Phil, as he is known, was a weekly guest on the show, where he offered relationship advice to couples willing to face up to his no-nonsense demands to "get real." Prior to his appearances with Oprah, McGraw founded and headed Courtroom Sciences, Inc., a litigation consulting firm that specialized in helping legal teams select jurors. In 2002 he created his own syndicated daytime talk show, Dr. Phil. His books include Life Strategies (2000), Self Matters (2001) and Ultimate Weight Solution: the 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom (2003).

Extra credit: According to The Detroit News, "Oprah first met Dr. Phil in 1998 in Amarillo, Texas, when he was part of a team of lawyers defending her against a group of cattlemen who accused Oprah of fraud, slander and defamation" after Oprah aired a program on mad cow disease in 1996... McGraw married his wife Robin in 1976, and they have two sons, Jay and Jordan... Jay authored the 2000 best-seller Life Strategies for Teens.

Other famous purveyors of advice include Dr. Laura, Ben Franklin and Miss Cleo.